Rescued
by SRona58
Summary: Set in what I'd like to think is a scene in Infinity War (no spoilers, as this is written before the movie has come out) - from the still of Peter climbing the ring while entering space. Pepperony/Avengers multi part one shot.
1. Chapter 1

Set in what I'd like to think is a scene in Infinity War (no spoilers, as this is written before the movie has come out) - from the still of Peter climbing the ring while entering space.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Marvel characters or story lines!

* * *

"Parker! Hey, what did I tell you?! Get down from there, _now_!"

Of course - while fighting off these alien creatures, which completely differed from the ones that once invaded New York, Tony Stark also had to babysit.

From the corner of his helmet's viewpoint, he saw that God damned ring still in the sky, only now it was beginning to rise, climbing higher and higher into the sky, almost to the point of orbit. F.R.I.D.A.Y. had initiated the cameras in the Iron Spider suit so he could keep tabs while still fighting his own battles, but Parker was getting high - too high. If he fell from those heights, he didn't have jets. He didn't have the means to survive the fall. Suddenly, the visions of Rhodey falling from the sky and landing in a crumpled state flashed back through his mind.

"Tony! Tony, on your left!"

Stark was hit with a blow, sending him flying and tumbling across the ground. He rolled to a stop, and pushed himself back up, noting three of of his four extended back jets were now out of commission.

"Your jets are out!" Pepper gasped.

Tony eyed her photo on his operating system's screen inside his helmet, watching her face scrunch up in a grimace. Then, he whipped his head around to face his partner.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. I need you to toss all backup power to the bottom jets. Stay off the remaining rear."

"Configuring power distribution," the female AI confirmed.

Tony watched as Pepper knocked out the alien he was fighting with one of her hand repulsors. She was using the suit he made her so many years before, finally. After their break he didn't expect her to ever suit up, but today, things were different. If they didn't take down that ring...

"Uh, Mr Stark," the teenager's voice interrupted his conversation with his fiance; he sounded concerned...scared.

"Kid, you're done!" Tony ordered, looking up into the sky. "I need you back on the ground, _now_."

"I can do it, Mr Stark," he argued from the spider suit. "There's a panel at the top and the electromagnetic webs might be able to short it out long enough to-"

" _Parker_!" Tony scolded in his best dad voice. "Drax and the...green chick-"

" _Gamora_ ," Pepper groaned, grabbing a spear out of one of the alien's arms as it charged at her; she broke it in two and kicked him down.

"Whatever," Tony dismissed. "Their ship can handle it from orbit, if they have to. Now do I have to tell you again?"

Parker's connection was silent as he ignored his mentor. Tony glared at him from inside the suit, furious with his decision. He watched as the spider launched his webs and did a free fall to attempt to use the suit's strength to pull down the levitating object.

"I'm sorry, Mr Stark," Peter mumbled as he hitched the lock and swung down hard. "I have to do this."

Spider-man shook his wrists, trying to free it from the electromagnetic grip the webs had on his suit but failed.

"I...I think it's tossing the charge back at me," he informed the two in the iron suits. "Something's...stunning me! Karen, disable webs, disable webs!"

He sounded frantic, and Stark didn't like it.

"Parker!" Tony yelled again, before powering up the jets he had left and shooting up into the sky.

He heard Pepper scream his name from the Rescue suit still on the ground, but didn't look back. Instead, he focused on the kid. He was aware she could watch him from her video connection, but she'd have to be okay. Plus, she had Hawkeye and Widow flanking her sides until Hill could evacuate the rest of the city to join Cap in Wakanda. He'd be back down with the kid, and then they could all get out of there. Alive, at least until that thing broke a portal through for Thanos to arrive.

Stark grabbed onto the Iron Spider suit and pushed back with his own suit, trying to break free of the web's pull on Parker.

"Power at twelve percent," F.R.I.D.A.Y. warned urgently as he fueled the jets on his boots. "Running on reserve power."

"It's not working, Mr Stark!" Peter complained.

"Hang tight, kid," Tony muttered, charging up a repulsor and firing at the source of it all - where the webs were attached at the top of the alien machine.

On impact, they were hit with a magnetic field rebounding back at them, tossing both of their bodies into the air. Tony gasped, winded, but focused on Parker.

"Tony!" he heard Pepper's voice again as he skidded to an up right position in the air, using the last of his back up power to stabilize himself.

"Get the kid!" he ordered.

Pepper grumbled and hesitated, knowing it was one or the other, but powered herself into the air and shot like a jet stream for the falling spider suit. He watched as she positioned herself well enough to catch the air just right so it would aid her speed, and smirked - he had taught her well. Seconds before Peter hit the ground, Rescue was under him, scooping him up and retreating back to the rest of the Avenger's position.

Then, his jets were coming on and off, sparking on whatever little power was left.

"Power at two percent!" F.R.I.D.A.Y. exclaimed, making Tony's panic worse.

"Pep," he called over the intercom. "Pep, listen to me. I need you to go with the kid. I'll meet you back at base," he lied, knowing it was either just him or everyone at this point.

"Don't you dare, Stark," she snapped.

Then, Rescue was on her way toward him, leaving Peter in the hands of Natasha below. He furiously thrashed his boots, trying to slowly level himself down, but it wasn't easy.

"One percent, sir!"

"Shit," Tony breathed, locking his eyes on Pepper as she made it to him.

She wrapped a metal arm around his torso, then glanced back down at the ground. Before she could drag him with her, though, the ring pulsated again, and once again, they were tumbling through the air after a sonic boom leveled them out.

"Pepper!" Tony growled, realizing they were too late; this thing was summoning Thanos, with or without them. "Pepper, babe, I need you to answer me!"

But nothing came; his suit's display flickered, and he called for F.R.I.D.A.Y. next, but shortly after, he was left in blackness and unable to catch he or Pepper falling back to Earth.

* * *

Eventually, Tony blinked his eyes open. His head throbbed and he was no longer in the metal suit. Instead, he was lying on his back, layed out on something else made of metal, looking up at what looked like the top of the Quinjet before it was destroyed. Groaning, he grabbed his head and lifted himself off the ground.

"Look who's up!" he heard a male voice mock from his side.

Stark blinked furiously, trying to clear his headache, then took in his surroundings. He glanced at the table next to him, where the man was standing, and instantly recognized the helmet on the ground to his side and the fiery red hair that pillowed out from under Pepper's soft, petite body.

"Pepper!" he called out, immediately standing despite knowing he was in no shape to do so.

He rushed to the table's side, gripping the cool metal that held her still and bloodied body up. There were no major wounds, that he could see.

"What happened?!" Stark questioned, calculating in his head how to fix her. "What'd you do to her?!"

"What'd _we_ do to _her?"_ a raspy voice asked.

Tony turned his focus to the small, walking raccoon to Peter Quill's side and stared blankly.

Rocket continued. "Well, _sorry_ , your majesty, for saving your butt! You humans are so ungrateful..." he muttered, tossing the remaining pieces of Pepper's suit aside.

Stark winced, realizing he'd have a lot of work to do before they could suit up again. "How long was I out?"

"Ten minutes, give or take," Quill answered.

"And the others?"

Star-Lord shot him a forced smile, which told him everything he needed to know; they were either gone or still fighting.

"Hill is rounding the rest up. Earth's been compromised...except for-"

"Wakanda," Tony realized, knowing their tech was well out ranking his own, making the country the only safe place...for the time being.

He nodded an affirmative. "We'll take him down from the center out."

Tony panicked. "Where's my suit?!" He looked around the small space ship for pieces of his own. "If I can over run the main circuit board with F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s drive, I can get a better read on Pepper-"

"You mean, like this?" the raccoon asked with a cocky tone.

F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s system displayed in front of them in hologram form, reminding Tony a lot of what Jarvis used to be. He would reminisce later; now, he had to save Pepper.

"Your power's pretty low," Quill commented, shifting back to pilot position. "Think it can hold her till we get to base?"

Tony swallowed, watching Pepper with pained eyes. It was his fault. She was unconscious, and it was his fault. He should've never dragged her into battle, never went after the kid...never even asked the kid to fight, in the first place...

"So we're going back to Earth?" Tony asked. "Great. Bring on that giant purple grape. I need to share a few words with him."

* * *

They had gone into stealth mode and landed easily, their system already approved for entry to Wakanda. He immediately lifted Pepper into his arms and proceeded down the ramp to the Milano, ignoring the cultural welcoming Wakanda was known to give. He didn't know if they still expected them to be formal, but there was no time for that. Instead, he pushed past the welcoming committee until he located Banner and Romanoff in the crowd; the only ones who were closest to he and Pepper, besides the kid.

"Oh thank God!" Natasha celebrated upon seeing them, until her eyes fell onto Pepper's limp form. "Is she okay?!"

"I don't know," Stark admitted. "Get me to the lab, I know there's a lab around here somewhere. All this tech needs a birthing center."

Normally, Nat would've commented on his choice of words, but she was too stressed out about the state of the planet, and now also her friend. Banner lead the way, having studied with Shuri instead of fighting, to make sure the green guy didn't escape at the wrong time. Normally, the city would have fascinated Stark, but he was too concerned with saving his fiance at this point. Memories of Rhodey flashed back again as he strained to stay away from thinking the worst.

Finally, Banner rushed them into the submerged level of the secret space near the Vibranium mine and Shuri met them with panic stricken eyes.

"What happened?!" she asked, her accent thick and worried for the woman in Tony's arms, even though they had never met.

"I need a scan on her nervous system. All bones and muscles. And I need a heart rate on display stat. If I can upload F.R.I.D.A.Y., we can-"

"You must be Mr Stark," Shuri commented as she brought a construction table up from the depths of the floor.

Tony ignored her comment and set Pepper down, his eyes scanning her as he fought down his own fear.

"Relax," Shuri continued, typing a few things into a computer to her side. "You're not the only one with nice stuff."

The three Avengers stood in awe as a more complex screening of Pepper's vitals popped up than Stark had ever created with Jarvis or F.R.I.D.A.Y..

"Remind me we need to talk after this is all over," he muttered, scanning through the stats with his hand.

"Vitals stable," an automatic voice spoke through the lab, echoing off the empty space.

Stark smirked, realizing he still had the girl beat with his personalization skills, at least.

"No spinal damage detected," it continued. "Both heart beats stable."

Tony swallowed and blinked to clear his mind; had he just heard that right? He was frozen between two slides, forgetting to continue swiping as he focused on the screen. Then, his eyes moved between his fiance and the monitors in the air, trying to clarify.

"... _Two_ heart beats?" Banner repeated softly, realizing the shocked state Tony was in.

Natasha glanced at Shuri, a smile creeping on her face. "Is she...?"

Raising an eyebrow, the Wakandan turned back toward Stark, inspecting his reaction. "You didn't know...?" she guessed.

He swallowed hard again, trying to ignore the feeling of the room closing in and the familiar tug at his heart. Funny, the Earth slowly being taken over by aliens didn't bother him, but the second he finds out Pepper is...pregnant...his anxiety attacks return.

"Congratulations, dad," Nat celebrated kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Instantly, Stark shrugged her off and gripped his chest where the arc used to be. He gasped, trying to breathe, and realized he was too constricted in the underground room, despite how open and clean it was. Before he knew it, he was pushing himself out and toward the elevator up, noting how he was bouncing off of things in the room like a pinball game.

When he reached the top, he was finally able to breathe fresh air...the only fresh air left on their doomed planet. He collapsed onto the ground, next to the launch pad for the Wakandan ships, and tried to take deep breaths and focus on absolutely anything else.

 _Breathe, Stark_ , he told himself. _It's not the worst thing in the world, right?"_

After a few moments of that, his shoulder was warmed again but the soft touch of Romanoff's hand. He flinched slightly, but welcomed a friend, remembering how many times Harley had helped him the last time he had almost lost Pepper.

"Come on, Stark," she whispered softly; it was the same voice she tried to calm down the Hulk with, and it worked. "Pepper needs you."

He exhaled slowly and lifted his head from his hands, still shaking. "I can't do it," he told her.

"Do what?" she asked, willing him to go on on his own.

He shuddered. "Be a... _dad_ ," he managed, spitting out the word like it was poison.

She tilted her head, analyzing him as she helped him slowly calm down. "Tony, you're not your father. You're so much different. Hell, the Tony Stark I first met would've never committed to marriage, yet here you guys are."

For a total guess, she hit the nail on the head. He shook his head, hair tousling in the faint breeze, and looked up at her, forcing a smirk to curve at his lips.

"If we even survive till then..." he muttered, sighing. "What's the point? Bring a kid into this world just to have it all end... I can't even take care of the kid here!"

She chuckled, running her hand up and down his arm. "Tony, he's a _teenager_. And he's doing damn well, if you ask me. Because of you."

"Is he..." Stark began, realizing he never asked about Parker; strike two...panic, and now two forms of abandonment.

She shook her head, cutting him off before he could ask. "He's fine. A little shaken up, but fine. Barton took him to hang out with Happy."

He nodded slightly in understanding and let his shoulders relax. Then, a grin crept at his lips as he fought it back without success.

"So she's...she's-"

"Eight weeks," Natasha confirmed. "I take it neither of you were planning on this?"

"Not even in the slightest..." he told her truthfully. "Pepper's...okay, right?"

"She's going to be fine. She just got knocked out. Whatever that was charged both of you up."

"Guess my body's used to it," he responded sourly, knowing the arc must have left some sort of damage on him since removing it. "I should, uh...I should get back down to her, huh?" he asked, pushing against the ground to stand up now that his heart had slowed down.

"Shuri's watching her. How about you get some air? I'll notify you if anything changes."

Stark nodded again, straightening his shoulders. He smiled at her faintly and focused on the pathway back to the city, knowing it would be a short trek there so he could freely process the news and try to figure out how the hell to save the planet.


	2. Chapter 2

Potentially one more chapter? Not sure yet.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Marvel characters or story lines!

* * *

Tony wandered his way into the small yurt like tents that were grouped around a small lake under the hill. Eventually, he located Happy's distraught voice and followed it to the source. He ducked into the small structure, realizing while Wakanda was going to serve as a base for everyone aiding the Avengers, there were probably not enough of the high tech buildings to house them right away.

He entered the space to Happy trying to ignore Parker while he wildly threw questions at him about everything that happened and everything that was to come. He tuned it out, focused on his own thoughts as he poured himself a glass of water at the small hand crafted table placed in the corner. It almost reminded him of camping, having to use water from a pitcher...

"Mr Stark!" he heard Peter gasp upon his entrance, stealing his attention. "Mr Stark, I'm so sorry, I just thought-"

"Save it, kid," he muttered, taking a sip while he stayed turned away from the two.

"But I-" he protested, but Tony wasn't in the mood.

"I said not now," he snapped, finally turning toward Parker.

The kid's mouth was agape, not knowing what to say. For once, words weren't coming, and Happy sighed in happiness from the other side of the tent. Stark kept his eyes on Parker, taking another sip, but spoke to Happy instead.

"Is F.R.I.D.A.Y. still up and running in New York?" he asked, wondering how the rest of the world was fairing and if Thanos had been unleashed yet.

"So far everything's still good," Happy confirmed, setting down his tablet. "Though Central Park took a beating."

"The portal must not be opened yet..." Stark muttered, finishing off the water.

"So the ring's still there...?" Parker piped up, looking at Happy and then back at Tony.

"No thanks to you." He paused. "Funny, if you gave me a dollar for every time I've said that to you recently..."

Happy snorted in amusement from his seat.

"I...I tried, Mr Stark," Peter insisted again. "I didn't expect-"

Tony glared daggers at the kid, fury rising in his eyes. "I don't want to hear it, okay?" he yelled with a new found authority in his tone. "What you did... Did you even _think_ about everyone else?"

"Well, yeah..." he answered with a shaky voice. "I was sort of trying to save the planet!"

"No, you were trying to be the hero again," Stark answered, making Happy chuckle at how ironic that statement actually was. "I can't watch you and Pepper and..." He paused, realizing he hadn't had a chance to drop the news.

"And?" Happy asked, suddenly interested.

Tony shot him a look, then turned back to the kid. "Look, kid, I fought for you to be on this team. We need you. Earth needs you. But if you can't keep your head in the game and listen to my directions-"

"To _your_ directions?!" Peter snapped. "Since when are you in charge?"

"Since I gave you the suit," he answered without missing a beat.

Parker muttered something in defeat under his breath, but sunk down into one of the cushions along the side of the room, now embarrassed and upset. Tony sighed, repeating him, and placed his head in his hands as he took a breath.

"I'm sorry," Parker finally spoke, quietly. "I didn't mean...is miss Potts-"

Tony groaned, knowing the secret was about to come out. He still didn't know how he felt about it so he didn't want to think about how everyone else was going to react. Suddenly, he wished that water was scotch...he needed a good drink.

"Where is she?" Happy asked, now panicked about the fact that his co worker and friend didn't come in with Stark. "Is Pepper hurt?"

Tony ran his hands down his face with a drawn out huff, pulling at his skin while he tried to figure out what to say.

"She's-" he began, but couldn't get much out.

"Oh God," Happy assumed. "She's not...is she...I told you that suit was a bad idea!"

"Happy, she's fine!" Tony snapped. Then, he looked up at his security detail and took a deep breath. "She's pregnant."

Happy almost choked on his own saliva, suddenly entering a coughing fit as the news hit him, making Stark raise an eyebrow questioningly. That was definitely not the reaction he expected, knowing Hogan usually kept his real thoughts to himself.

"Ohhhhh my God!" Parker mumbled excitedly. "I'm gonna be an uncle! Hey, Mr Stark, I can totally babysit if you..."

Tony eyed him with a look that questioned his sanity and shook his head, dismissing the kid so he slowly trailed off, getting the hint. Then, he turned the conversation back to Happy.

"She was knocked out, but..." He sunk back into the cushion with fatigue. "She doesn't know."

"You gotta tell her," Hogan answered simply.

Another glare from Stark. "No shit, Sherlock." He ran a hand through his hair. "When she wakes up, I'll talk to her...if I can figure out what the hell to do next."

Tony was again stuck in his own thoughts until Hill paged him to meet the rest of the team for a meeting. He just hoped they had answers or a plan or...something, because the idea of raising a child while trying to retake the planet from an alien species was not on the top of his to do list for this lifetime.

* * *

While the group was assembled, Tony waited in his seat impatiently, fidgeting with the buttons on his pants pocket as something to do with his hands in the meantime. Parker took the seat next to him, rambling about some web setting in his ear, but he tuned it out again. Then, slowly, the rest of the team formed around him at the table, including someone who made his heart skip: Pepper.

Romanoff had helped her into the room, but she looked alive and healthy, and to Tony, she was glowing. She smiled at him guiltily, but he immediately stood and pulled out the seat next to him for her, helping her sit down; he was sure she was a little sore from the fight, and probably was still waking up fully. Pepper had glanced at him in confusion, as it was not something Tony usually did, but accepted his help graciously.

The meeting started immediately, not giving them much time to talk, but he was just thankful she was up and moving. Not thankful that Nat hadn't called him, but that didn't matter right now. He ignored Fury as he instructed them on the next steps, even though it was important information, and instead rubbed his hand up and down Pepper's thigh, squeezing gently every now and then and earning a blush from her while she tried to keep her eyes off of him and pretend like it wasn't happening. Then, he was nervously tapping, resting his chin on his other hand while he focused on the table.

Fury assigned teams, announcing they would head back out after a day of preparation, and when the Iron duo came up, Tony snapped his attention back to the meeting for the first time since it began.

"Rescue's sitting out," he demanded, staring Fury down to let him see his sincerity.

"What?!" Pepper asked, obviously irritated with Tony's decision. "Are you drunk?! There's no way I'm sitting out -"

"Pepper, sweetheart, just trust me on this," he insisted, glancing at his fiance.

Fury raised the eyebrow on his good eye. "Perhaps you two should talk this out first."

"Yeah," Tony mumbled, swallowing hard. "Thanks, eye patch. Didn't think of that one yet," he bantered.

Despite Tony's interruption, the meeting was adjourned, sending them all prepping their suits and weapons for the takeoff the next day. Tony felt sick as the beginning of another anxiety episode slowly crept through his body, but he willed himself to stand and follow Pepper outside, who had stomped off immediately after being let out.

He found her discussing something with Natasha and Cap, her arms folded over her chest in frustration; he knew that stance well. Internally smacking himself, he forced his feet to move him forward, his hands stuffed in his pockets for effect.

"Pep," he spoke, his voice cracking slightly, which got her attention.

"What, do I have to sit out talking to our friends, too?" she quipped.

He flinched; her voice was as fiery as her hair. This was not how he wanted this to go. He also didn't want to discuss this in front of everyone, but the group hadn't dispersed, obviously on her side of the argument. If only they knew.

"Right," he muttered, looking at the ground sheepishly, then back at her. "Listen, can we talk?"

"Go ahead," she agreed.

"I mean..." he argued, wanting some privacy. Instead, he decided to not push her further and just went with it. "Nevermind. Okay." He removed a hand from his pocket to scratch his head, thinking. "Uh, look, I already have to get my suit fixed up and we only have a day so-"

"Really?" she asked, her lip curving up in disgust. "You're gonna pull that card?"

Natasha spoke up in her defense. "Tony, Shuri's already working on recharging them. Quill brought the pieces down after you left."

"Oh," he responded, realizing he couldn't use that excuse.

Pepper sighed, her shoulders relaxing a little at his protective tendencies. She reached out a hand, placing it under his chin to lift his head up to look at her.

"Tony, I know you're worried about me, but-"

"Not just you, Pep," he answered, forcing a smile through his shaking structure.

"The team's gonna be fine, too," she promised, tilting her head in concern.

He shook his head, still in her grip, and the smile became more real. "Did they uh...did they tell you what happened?"

She frowned. "Something about the magnetic field knocking us out. Quill brought us here."

Stark saw Natasha whispering something to Cap, who immediately shot Tony a wide grin. Great, so now they knew..there was no backing out of this one now.

"Tony, what aren't you telling me?" Pepper questioned again, sensing his discomfort.

His smile turned into one of his infamous smirks as he raised both eyebrows and popped up on his toes - something else he did when he was nervous. Then, as if running through all his quirks, he ran his hand through his hair again a few times, ruffling it up.

"Tony..." Pepper pressed, knowing he always needed a push when he didn't want to talk about something. "Why don't you want us fighting with you? Please tell me you don't think you can do this on your own!"

"Of course not," he chuckled. "But, honey...I just need you to sit this one out, okay? Please?"

She huffed, shaking her head at his request, but he continued before she could respond.

"I need to make sure you're okay. I can't lose you guys."

She narrowed her eyes, not following. "Happy's gonna be fine, too, Tony."

"Not Happy," he groaned...God, he was terrible at these situations. "The baby, Pep. You're...we're uh, sort of-"

She laughed out loud, more so than he had ever seen from her, not processing what he said correctly.

"Okay, now I _know_ you're drunk!" she exclaimed, grinning ear to ear. "I'm not sitting out, that's final. Now can we stop this nonsense?"

Pepper briefly glanced between Tony and the group as silence fell over them. Stark scratched his head once more, waiting for her to realize he wasn't joking. Finally, her face straightened out as she looked around the group.

"You're not..."

"Kidding?" Tony assumed. "Nope. You're um...pregnant, Pep."

She breathed steadily, focused on Tony's face. She stared at him long enough to make him start to panic before she reacted. He flashed a nervous smile, pleading for help among the others, but only received a 'congratulations, dad of Iron!" and a strong pat on the back from Thor.

Pepper's hand dropped to her flat stomach, not showing yet. "Oh my God..." she whispered, blinking as she took it all in.

Tony's brow furrowed as he reached for her arm, lightly holding onto her bicep. She looked up from her stomach and met his eyes, freaking him out when he saw tears.

"Pep, look, we can...we don't have to..."

He had no idea what he was trying to say. The idea of raising a baby scared the living hell out of him, but _not_ keeping it almost seemed worse...if they saved Earth, that was. He continued stumbling through words as they flowed out, not able to form a complete thought.

"I know this isn't the most ideal timing, but..."

Suddenly, she laughed; she was shocked, but she laughed. Pepper _laughed_. Were those...happy tears?

"Tony," she breathed, her voice never sounding happier.

"I know," he grinned, his lips curving up as he pulled her toward him and rested his forehead against hers.

Another gasping chuckle left her mouth. "We're..."

"Gonna be parents," he finished for her, his eyes flicking up from her hand on her stomach to meet her own. "I know. I'm sorry if...I mean, I know we haven't talked about..."

"Tony!" she hushed him, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. "I'm happy. This is..."

"Happy?" he repeated. "You mean..."

"You're going to be a brilliant father, Mr Stark," she murmured kindly, reading his fears as well as Natasha had as she ran a hand through his hair to comfort him.

"Am I?" he doubted out loud, wincing at the thought. "I have no idea how to raise a kid, Pep."

"We'll figure it out," she answered.

"God, I love you," Stark replied simply, stating the most overpowering thing on his mind.

"I love you too."

Pepper took him into her arms and placed her chin on his shoulder as she embraced him in a tight hug, celebrating the news. At the sight, the others applauded them before meeting them with pats on the back and hugs. Tony Stark was going to be a dad...who would've ever thought?


	3. Chapter 3

You guys are asking so...this is gonna be a four part short story.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Marvel characters or story lines!

* * *

It had been three days. Three days in the unknown. Three days where it was just Pepper, Hill, Shuri, the remaining Wakandans, and the baby. She didn't want to listen to Stark, but she agreed that staying behind was best now that she knew the truth behind her moments of illness that she had pushed aside as stress or nerves. Shuri had showed her a scan...a sort of high tech ultrasound, proving what she was told.

Shortly after the group dispersed and grabbed a bite to eat before retiring for some sleep, they got comfortable in the tent next to Happy and Parker. He found it best to leave the kid there, since Happy had practice babysitting him before, it would be less annoying to the rest of the team. Plus, things were just starting to settle with Cap, and it wasn't worth the argument when they had a planet to save. Being alone, they slept eventually, and when Tony woke from a hot sweat just before the sun rose, Pepper pulled him up off the floor to fix him another glass of water.

"Please...be careful," Pepper had told Tony, placing a soft hand on his cheek after he downed it.

He had looked at her sorrowfully, knowing he had to leave with the team in the morning. Rescue was sitting out, as he requested. He knew this was a life or death fight, and he might not make it back to her, but it was his only chance at making sure she was safe; there was no way he'd let her fight, suit or no suit.

Carefully, Tony had placed a palm on her stomach, smiling as he looked down. "Pep, I gotta do this. For the world...for both of you..."

"You're something else, Mr Stark." She smiled faintly and ran her hand through his hair, earning his gaze again. "I thought you were worried about...parenting."

"I was. I am." Then he had grinned. "When I get back...how bout we start planning this wedding. What do ya think?"

Pepper kissed him lightly, tapping his nose once she pulled away. He wore his smile proudly, then content and actually looking forward to having a family. Who would've thought?

"Just promise me you'll come home," she had whispered. "I can't do this without you, Stark."

"I'll do my best, Pep," he had answered, knowing he couldn't make a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.

She hated it, knowing he could very well not make it back...any of them could be lost. This was the worst the planet had ever seen, and the idea of the rest of the world being run over by an alien attack shook her to the core. They had discussed it at dinner...what bringing a newborn into a world like this would mean, but somehow, Tony had decided he was on board (despite his very present fear of becoming his own father)...and so was she.

The fear had consumed her eventually, and she found herself desperately throwing herself at Tony, her hands gripping the collar of his worn out shirt. He had eagerly kissed her back, winding his hands in her hair and bringing her down with him onto one of the cushions. They were both senseless, needing to feel each other in case...in case the worst happened.

He had nipped at her neck and had brought his hand up under her shirt, earning a whimper from her; he loved that sound...it was something he dreamed about for years while she served as his assistant, and now that she was is, so was it. That was all that had time for, though.

"Hey, Mr Stark!" a sleepy, young voice then called just before he entered the tent. "Oh, I'm...my bad, I didn't...there's no where to knock and..."

Tony had groaned and pushed himself off Pepper, who was blushing profusely on the floor. He turned toward the kid in the spider suit, which was all he needed to know it was time.

"Shuri has the suit in the lab," Pepper whispered, her heart aching. "She was working on it when Natasha came to check on me..."

Tony swallowed and dismissed Parker with one nod of the head, then had held a hand out to his fiance. He kissed her on the forehead and had promised to say goodbye after they finished suiting up; normally, he'd just take one of the compact models, but the world was compromised...there was no knowing what waited for them outside of the shielded city.

Then, after almost a half an hour of her nerves making her feel worse than the morning sickness had made her, the team had united on the launch pad, ready to board the Milano and head out. She had watched Tony toss his helmet to Cap momentarily, and then he was before her, which killed them both.

Pepper had tried to contain her tears, but they were slipping out, and she bit her lip to keep from busting out in an ugly cry. Tony didn't seem to mind; a metal finger had wiped the tear away, and then he forced a smile.

"I love you, Pep," he had told her.

Her watery blue eyes met his chocolate ones, and she had studied his face harder than she ever had before. That was worse than Afghanistan, or the Expo, or the oil rig, or New York...or...she could have gone on and on. She didn't anticipate him to go on those missions...and especially not without her on purpose.

"If this...if I..." he had stammered out, trying to figure out what the hell to say to his pregnant fiance in such a situation.

"Don't," she had begged; she couldn't handle it if he said it.

He had blinked ferociously, obviously trying to fight his own feelings as he always did, and instead pulled her in for a tight hug. Then, his lips met hers and she had shut her eyes so tight she thought she made herself blind, trying to savor the moment. She had only opened them again when he had pulled away and knelt down, his metal knees clanking against the ground. She felt his same lips meet her stomach, their warmth flooding through her shirt, and she found her hands once again brushing through his hair as she choked out a sad little chuckle to try to lighten the mood. They had kissed again, and then before she knew it, Tony was boarding the Milano, and that was the last she had seen of him or the team.

Now, she sat in the lab, watching Shuri work on some kind of hologram of a new suit for Rescue using the Vibranium they mined in Wakanda. She admired her for her intelligence, and she found it comforting...it was like being back in the mansion they had had in Malibu, all those nights she had spent trying to get him to go upstairs and go to bed or all the days she had to physically drag him to his office. They certainly had come so, so far.

Her mind snapped out of her own thoughts as she noticed a flicker in the lighting, and then an alarmed Shuri meeting her confused gaze.

"Is this...should we-" Pepper asked nervously, preparing herself for the worst.

"No," she determined in her heavy accent. "I spoke with T'Challa yesterday; Thanos was already summoned."

"What?!" Pepper snapped, now angry that no one had told her.

The girl looked at her with confusion. "Where did you think Hill has been all day?!"

Potts glared at the other woman, but instantly forgot it as the fear replaced her anger.

"This is something different," Shuri murmured, rushing around to focus on the screens that displayed maps of the city next to her work station; she had brought them up when the team left to keep tabs of the tracker they installed in Quill's ship. "Something..."

"What's happening?!" Pepper asked urgently, standing to go to her side. "Are they okay? Did they win?"

Shuri narrowed her eyes, reading the red pangs on the screen, until she realized the flicker of the power must have been someone penetrating the force field around Wakanda.

"They're back!" she gasped, making Pepper whip her head toward her and away from the screens.

Potts had pushed back, rushing up to the top of the shaft using the elevator; Shuri was not far behind her, putting the lab on lock down just in case. When they surfaced, Pepper scanned the sky, desperately waiting for a glimpse of the ship. They were home. Tony was home. They would be okay.

Finally, she spotted it, and the two girls were met with a huffing and puffing Maria Hill, who had ran from her spot in the city all the way to the launching pad.

"Did you get a read on them?" Hill asked, not taking her eyes off the ship as it touched down.

"No, nothing," Shuri answered with worry. "I did not know they were coming home."

"Fury didn't tell you?" Pepper asked, turning toward the third female.

Hill shook her head, frustrated. "I lost connection last night when..."

The ship's hatch opened suddenly, slowly lowering and stealing their attention. Pepper twisted her hands nervously, remembering the last time she had waited for Tony like this. It had been three months that time, not just three days.

Finally, she saw Cap surface from the darkness, aiding Black Widow, who limped down the walkway and toward them. Then a beat up Doctor Strange walked with a shaking Bruce Banner, who was wrapped in a blanket and looked like he was having cold sweats.

Pepper's eyes stopped counting the people on board as they dispersed and focused on trying to locate Tony instead. Or Happy. Or Peter. Or...any of her work family.

"We did it," Cap whispered, his voice heavy and tired.

Her heart fluttered, knowing they were safe, but it still didn't feel right. Thanos might be defeated, but it wouldn't be finished until Tony was back in her arm. She focused on Cap until he sadly met her eyes, and her heart sank. She turned back to the ship at the touch of Hill's hand on her shoulder, knowing there was something they weren't telling her. The Guardians came down, then the Ant team, Wanda, then the rest...until finally, behind them was someone she recognized - Peter Parker, who looked like he had just lost his aunt...had he?

"Miss Potts..." Peter spoke up, approaching Pepper as he wildly twisted his hands together. "Pepper..."

"Where is he, Peter?" she asked evenly, trying to keep her voice steady and her face encouraging.

"I..." he stuttered, looking around for some kind of backup, but no one wanted to meet his gaze. "Mr Stark..."

He didn't have to finish. The loud footsteps of Thor sounded down the metal walkway and time stood still as Pepper watched him carry her worst fear in his arms; Tony's body, still in the iron suit.

"Tony..." she managed, just a whisper as her body caught up. Then, it was a shout. "Tony! No...no!"

Cap closed his eyes, not able to listen to the pain in Pepper's voice as she pushed her way over to meet Thor half way. Carefully, she looked down at Stark; his suit had very visible claw marks down it, a hole through the front plate of his chest, and...

"Is he..." she breathed.

"He lost it trying to block Vision from Thanos," Natasha spoke up, her voice cracking as she tried to explain why Tony was missing his right arm. "Vision...didn't make it."

Pepper felt sick to her stomach and spots were clear in her eyes, but she couldn't pass out; not now, not here. She focused on his resting face, placing her hand against it and kissing his cold lips lightly, desperately trying to get him to wake up.

"Come on, Tony. Please," she begged. "You promised, Stark. You can't...I can't..." She kissed him again. "You gotta wake up, Tony. You can't die. You can't leave us alone."

Shuri pulled her away after another moment and replaced her in her spot, inspecting him. Then, she rushed the God of thunder down to her lab, apparently already trying to come up with ideas on how to save him.

"I might be able to...now...the Vibranium can..." Pepper heard, her ears now ringing; it was coming in in bits and pieces and she felt flush.

Then, they were off, and Pepper couldn't move her feet. She was forgetting to breathe, and then, to make matters even worse, she felt a pain in her lower stomach. She clutched herself, bending over slightly to try to muffle it out, but her gasp alerted the others.

"Pepper?" Rogers questioned, letting go of Natasha. "Hey, come on now, you're okay," he promised, aiding her. "Can someone take my place and make sure Fury takes a look at Nat?!" he asked as he scooped Pepper up instead and followed Thor and Shuri. "Everything's gonna be okay, Pepper."

"He's gotta be okay," she whispered, clutching onto Cap's neck.

"I need _you_ to be okay," Steve answered, trying not to talk about Tony.

Pepper grimaced again as she closed her eyes, grinding her teeth in pain as another pang hit her lower stomach. Cap swallowed hard as they boarded the elevator to go back down.

"Something's wrong, Steve," Pepper announced, even though it was obvious by now. "I can't..." She opened her eyes and met his, all of her worry pouring out of hers. "Is the baby gonna be okay?!"

He exhaled slowly as they dropped down, not knowing how to answer her. Instead, he promised her something else. "I'll stay with you until we get you looked at, promise."


	4. Chapter 4

There will be one part after this..that's gonna be the final part... Story line may continue sometime in the future with more detail, but this was meant to be a one shot...glad everyone liked it, though!

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of the Marvel characters or story lines!

* * *

Pepper had passed out on the way down to the lab, leaving she and Tony both passed out at the same time. She didn't realize it, but by the time she woke up, it had been two days. Black Widow had sat by her side so she wouldn't panic when she came to, and she was glad to see the familiar female's face when she blinked her eyes open.

"Nat...?" she had asked, her voice raspy and dry.

She tried to push herself up, but failed until the other woman aided her.

"Hey you," she teased kindly, grabbing her some water from a nearby table. "You gave us all a scare there."

Pepper faked a smile. "So did you. Are you okay?"

She smiled in return. "Nothing S.H.I.E.L.D. can't fix."

Then, Pepper's smile had faded as she let the glass fall from her hand, shattering on the floor beneath the table she was on. She grabbed at her stomach, panic setting in once more as she remembered everything that had happened.

"Natasha, the baby," she spoke, alarmed. "Are they okay?!"

Widow then grinned and squeezed Pepper's hand over her stomach. "Just stress. Everything's fine. You're on strict bed rest, though."

Sighing, Pepper had breathed out in relief for just a moment. "T...Tony. Where is Tony?!"

Natasha had rubbed her back gently, trying to calm her down. "Hey, now what did I just say?" she asked with care. "Stress is no good for the baby."

"The baby needs their father, Nat!" she had answered, a little too loudly.

Natasha thought for a moment, then had decided to fill her in. "Shuri did some work on him," she began. "He's gonna be okay, Pep. But..."

"But what?!"

She then frowned. "He's in a coma for now. And...some things have changed."

"Obviously, he _lost an arm_!" Pepper snapped, instantly regretting it. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," Nat whispered, once again running her hand up and down her back to soothe her. "Just know she did everything she could, okay?"

Pepper had swallowed nervously. "Can I see him?"

Then, Natasha had taken her to Tony's space, in a room alongside the lab where Shuri could keep an eye on him. Pepper had anxiously walked in, but the reading of the holograms above him and the silent heart rate that buzzed across the screen made her collapse at his side, falling to her knees beside the small bed they had made for him there. She then latched onto his left hand, kissing it ferociously as tears poured from her eyes. This was a time worth crying.

"Shuri manufactured a replacement for his arm," Natasha had whispered, delivering the news to her lightly. "Sort of like Bucky's, but...when he's up, I'm sure they can figure out how to mask those metal pieces and make it a little more believable."

She nodded, his hand still to her lips. "Like Vision. He can fix it. I know he can."

"And there's something else, Pep..." her friend managed uncomfortable. "He took a nasty shot, and..."

Pepper had tensed up as her eyes landed on them; the bandages covering his chest. "Is that..." she whispered sadly.

Black Widow had confirmed for her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It was the only way. His heart was failing."

She blinked the water from her eyes, then took her free hand and traced the cool metal on Tony's chest; another arc.

"It's Vibranium, not anything like before," Nat had continued. "It's stronger than what he had before."

Pepper didn't speak. Instead, she had pushed herself up so she could push the messy hair from his forehead, then placed a kiss there. She then rested her own against him, breathing in relief that at least he wasn't dead.

And that's where Pepper had sat. For the majority of four months.

She blinked open her eyes as she pushed the memories from her mind; she had dreamed everything over again for the past few weeks, now panicking that Stark wouldn't wake in time for the baby to come. He had missed almost the entire pregnancy, but she was glad Natasha and Cap had agreed to stay in Wakanda. The city had welcomed them, since they Avengers had saved the planet, after all. Happy had taken Peter back to his aunt in New York and had to do a ton of explaining, but then he returned with Fury to wrap up S.H.I.E.L.D.'s duties.

Pepper poured herself a glass of water from the table next to his bed, then analyzed his charts. He seemed stable, but brain activity was still low. She worried, but knew it would do her and the baby no good so tried to keep it at a minimum.

Then, as if on queue, she felt the little thing kick her from inside her stomach and she smiled warmly, placing a hand on her now developed baby bump. She was six months in, and it was still somehow a secret from the rest of the world. Tony's disappearance had been masked as a vacation for the two, but now it was getting ridiculous how long he had been MIA. She knew she'd have to release a statement soon, and along with that came questions of his health, the baby, and their upcoming wedding.

Her hands then moved to the ring on her finger after she took a sip from her drink and placed it back down on the table. She fidgeted with the stone on it for a moment, then sighed and decided to welcome Stark into the new day.

"Tony..." she managed, her voice weak from exhaustion. "You gotta come back today. Please..."

Then, she kissed his lips softly, but pulled back once the realization settled in once again that he was no responding. She sat back down in the seat and took his hand in hers, playing with it as she drew circles across the skin.

"You did it. You saved the planet," she informed him quietly, looking over his resting face. "And everyone's friends again."

She paused.

"So I was thinking...how about Maria? I mean...after your mother, of course. I know it might be weird with Agent Hill and all, but... Or, maybe after my mother..."

Then, she cursed herself silently.

"You probably didn't want to know it's a girl, huh? You'd probably want it to be a surprise..."

Pepper found herself rambling, looking at him hopefully, but nothing came. No change in vitals, either way. Her eyes watered and stung as she fought back another morning of sadness, clenching onto his hand tighter.

"I love you, Anthony Stark. And God, am I so mad at you."

She kissed his hand delicately.

"I don't even care about the wedding anymore, either," she decided suddenly. "Lets just go to the courthouse. When you're awake, that is. We'll fly back to New York, I'll change my name... I know I told you I wasn't going to, but..."

She swallowed uncomfortably, hiding a squeak in her voice.

"I need you here, Tony... Nat and Steve and Happy...everyone needs you here. Parker's back home. He's safe. But he blames himself...and I don't know how to fix that. If you leave us...we're never gonna forgive you, you know. So wake up. Please, Tony... You have to be here when she comes, and...I just miss you so much."

She sat in silence for a few breaths after that, until a knock from the doorway made her jump.

"Sorry," Happy murmured, stepping up to wrap his arm around her shoulders to give her a light hug. "Nat's got breakfast waiting in the lab. Wanna come get something to eat?"

Pepper shook her head, not wanting to get up from Tony's side. "No, thank you," she answered.

"Pep, I know you don't want to, but if not for you, you gotta eat for the baby," Happy pointed out.

That worked. Potts sighed, took his hand and placed her other one on her belly as Hogan helped lift her from her chair and lead her into the other room.

"He'll come back soon," Happy promised her, but they both knew it was just a guess.

* * *

Another month had passed. She recited the same things to him, day after day. She swore she felt him stir once, but she was half asleep, so she didn't know if it was real or if she had dreamed it. She had brought in Shuri, but she didn't detect anything.

Pepper slept, as she usually did, sitting in the chair placed next to his bed, though it was beginning to get extremely uncomfortable with her growing belly; she was at seven months. Two more and their baby girl would be welcomed to the world, and she refused to do that without him there.

She was peaceful for the time being, until she felt his hand twitch in hers. She blinked her eyes open and lifted her head from his lap, expecting it to be a dream again, but then it happened a second time.

"Tony?" she whispered, praying for anything else to move. "Tony, can you hear me?"

Then, suddenly, his eyes squeezed a little tighter, and his heart rate was picking up on the displays above him. Pepper felt her own heart rate jolt as she rushed to move the hair from his forehead again, rubbing it slightly with her fingers to help comfort him.

"Tony, hey...it's me, I'm here," she said sweetly, though it was more like she was begging.

Her hand was soon squeezed in return, and she let out he breathe she had been holding happily, the tears returning...but this time, they were happy tears.

"Pep?"

"Tony!" she yelped at the sudden sound of his damaged voice, barely audible, coming from his scratchy throat. "Tony, oh my God..." she cried in bliss, peppering kissed across his face.

He winced a little at the sudden flurry of touches, then slowly blinked his eyes open in the dim lighting. He took it in; the holograms above him made sense. There was a pain in his chest, and he felt weighted down at his side, but what caught him most was the familiar blue glow across Pepper's face.

"Shit..." he mumbled, groggily looking down at his beat up body. "Did I get kidnapped again?"

Pepper caressed his cheek with her hand, resting her forehead in the crook of his neck, sobbing softly. She planted more kisses on his hairline, wanting to hold him as close as possible even though he was so fragile.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered, trying to raise his right hand to run his hands through the familiar red hair. "You're hair got longer," he observed.

Then, she heard his heart rate pick up as he realized he couldn't move his right side.

"Tony," she gasped, lifting her head to look him in the eye. "Tony, relax, okay? It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

"What the fuck," he muttered weakly taking in the fact that his ride side now looked like the inside of one of his suits.

"There was an accident, but you're okay now," she told him softly, hearing the heart rate slowly drop back down to normal. "Tony, you were...when Thor brought you back...Tony, I thought you were dead," she heaved out, gripping onto his shoulder.

He breathed in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly and leaned up as far as he could to kiss her cheek.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," he pleaded, immediately forgetting his own state as his care for her replaced his own fear. "Pepper..."

She rested her head on his shoulder, just above the bandaged area, and tried to calm herself.

"Pep," he requested again, his voice coming back. "Pepper, can you look at me, please?"

Slowly, she granted his request and wiped the water from her eyelashes, giving him a genuine smile. She was beyond thankful for this...for him...

"Kiss me," he ordered, his brown eyes searching hers.

She obliged easily, leaning down to place her lips on his in a soft kiss, careful not to elevate his heart rate any further than normal. When she pulled back, he frowned, but she knew she'd have to get Shuri to check on the Virbanium stats eventually.

"Shuri's gonna want to look at you," she told him quietly. "I'll be right back."

As she pulled herself up into a standing position, Stark's eyes widened, taking in her baby belly and her frailness.

"Um, okay, yeah...Pep, how long have I been out?" he asked, nervous for her answer.

She faked a small smile as she reached the door. "It's been...a while," she answered, deciding not to tell him just yet how much he had missed.

"Did we...did we win?" he pressed, realizing he never found out the outcome of their battle.

Her smile widened and she nodded, sending relief through his body as he laid his head back down on his pillow.

* * *

Whens he had returned with Shuri, Stark was almost back to his snarky self. She had informed him of the new arc, the metal arm, but things that had happened since they left to fight Thanos... Pepper sat in the chair, watching, as she told the stories while trying to teach him how to operate the new arm. He was in a sitting position now, flexing the piece of machinery like it was his own, with her aid, of course.

"So...Five months, huh?" he asked, flickering his gaze between Pepper, Happy, Black Widow, and Cap, all of which had joined them upon hearing he was awake.

Cap tugged his lips up faintly, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorway. "You had us fooled, Stark. Didn't think you'd make it."

"Thank for your vote of confidence," he snapped back, but it was a friendly snap. "And Parker...the kid's okay?"

Happy nodded. "Took him back home to his aunt, boss. She's got a bone to pick with you, though."

Tony's eyebrows raised as he accepted that and realized it wasn't surprising. "And Vision's..."

"Gone," Natasha confirmed quietly, a hit of sadness in her voice as she recalled the battle. "You were close, too, Stark. Watch it next time."

He opened his mouth to say something but Pepper suddenly groaned from her seat, grabbing her stomach once again.

"Pep, honey?" Tony questioned, his voice raising in urgency. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she breathed, "just..." Another pain hit her and she instantly regretted remembering how Thor had carried Tony off of the ship.

"What'd we tell you?!" Cap asked, going to lift her up from the seat. "You gotta stop thinking about it!"

"I'm trying," Pepper snapped through gritted teeth.

Tony watched wildly, and then his eyes landed on the seat Pepper was in. "Is that..." he asked carefully, trying not to alarm her.

They all looked toward the seat, seeing the small pool of blood where she was sitting and Shuri's eyes widened.

"We have to get her on a table!" she ordered.

"You know how to deliver a baby?!" Happy asked as he followed them into the lab, surprised.

"There's a first time for everything," she answered, helping Steve lift her onto the cool metal.

Widow wasn't far behind, her arm supporting Tony as he stumbled to walk out with them.

"Pep, it's gonna be okay," Tony insisted, grabbing her hand with his warm, non metal side.

She nodded, looking for comfort in his eyes as she laid back and Shuri placed a cover over her lower half. She could feel that familiar cool heat creeping through her body, though, and she knew the amount of blood left behind was not safe. She cursed herself, knowing stress was not going to help, but there was nothing she could do...they were filling Tony in, and it all just flooded back into her memory.

"Tony," she whimpered, feeling light headed.

He shushed her, trying to mask his concern, and kissed her forehead, Widow still spotting him in case he buckled under his own wobbly legs.

"Breathe, Pep," he begged, realizing she was slipping in and out of consciousness. "Everything's okay."


	5. Chapter 5

Last part - hope you enjoyed this short, cheesy as hell story! :D Also, shout out to RDJ for liking ANOTHER one of my tweets today...right before I booked my flight to be at the red carpet for IW next month! What an amazing day...

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of the Marvel characters or story lines!

* * *

Pepper's grip on Tony's hand loosened as she felt flush and weak after a few more pangs of pain shook her body. She groaned and blinked, fighting the slipping consciousness, watching as Shuri had injected her with something in her thigh; something to ease the pain, she guessed, because she quickly fell into a limp, calm state. She was drowsy, and the room was flickering around her, but she heard Tony clear as day.

"Hang in there, Pep," he demanded, squeezing her hand again. "Stay with me, honey."

Then, she heard Shuri faintly talking to Natasha, who still had her arm supporting Tony.

"I'll have to do this now, if you want a chance to save this baby," she told them urgently, looking over the tablets that read Pepper's vitals. "She's been having anxiety attacks. They're inducing premature labor."

"I did this?" Tony asked, managing to lift his new arm to brush her bangs aside as she shook on the table; she flinched at the cool touch.

"Don't over extend yourself," Shuri scolded, cutting up Pepper's skirt and ordering her screens to display her vitals.

"Tony, you saved the world," Natasha told him softly, catching his worried eyes for a brief moment. "This isn't your fault."

"She'll be okay, right?" Steve asked, gazing at her with his own amount of worry; they had grown close over the last few months.

Stark glared at him, feeling protective over Pepper, but didn't say anything back; he still felt fatigued, himself, but the adrenaline was keeping him going for the time being.

"I'm going to have to operate," Shuri suddenly decided, recruiting Banner in the process. "Doctor, I need you over here."

"I'm not that kind of doctor..." he muttered, but obliged.

Pepper blinked, trying to focus on Tony's face, but only caught his look of panic before her eyes rolled back and she met the darkness trying to greet her.

Next thing Pepper knew, she was blinking her eyes open to the blue glow from the arc on Tony's chest. He was lying in the bed with her, acting as her pillow. She groaned and lifted her head slightly, still feeling a little dizzy. Then, she winced as she flexed her hand and realized an IV was still in her hand.

Tony twitched, stretching his back slightly as he woke, himself. His eyes landed on her face, his lighting up instantly.

"Hey, babe..." he mumbled, kissing her forehead and shifting to wrap his metal arm around her and hug her close; she shivered at the contact again.

"You seem to have that thing down pat," she told him quietly, her voice still light and weak.

It had earned a grin from him as he sighed into her hair. "You gotta stop scaring me, Pep!"

"You first," she challenged.

Tony sighed. "I'm so sorry, Pepper."

"Stop," she whispered, lifting her hand to run over his cheek as she looked up at him. "You did your job. I knew what I signed up for."

"I should've been here," he protested. "But I just made it worse."

"Tony," she smirked, blinking her blue eyes up at him tiredly. "Nothing's ever gone the conventional way with us, now has it?"

He chuckled lightly. "Not at all, Potts."

"You're here now and that's all that matters," she answered, letting out a deep breath.

Tony ran his metal hand through her hair, groaning when he snagged on a knot and struggled to set her free. Pepper only laughed, making her stitching ache across his stomach as she whimpered in pain; the drugs were wearing off. Finally, Tony freed his hand and simply kissed her cheek, resting his forehead there afterwards for a moment of silence.

"Do you want to meet her, Pep?" he asked quietly into her skin, his voice lighter than she had ever heard it before.

"What?" she managed, taking in his familiar deep voice that she missed so much.

She felt him smile against her.

"Our daughter, Pep," he announced quietly, nuzzling into her sleepily. "She's perfect."

She grinned, her eyes now closed again as she took in the moment of stillness and bliss. "Well, you're her father, after all," she complimented as they cuddled.

Tony smirked and mumbled something in response, but it wasn't audible. Pepper sighed, melting into him and enjoying the comfort. This was why it was all worth it...they could finally be happy.

After a moment, they were interrupted by footsteps at the door and a happy looking Natasha knocking lightly on the door frame.

"Hey," her voice sounded, forcing the two to open their eyes. "There's someone who wants to meet you."

Pepper turned her head, her heart beating extra fast as she laid her eyes on the little bundle Nat was holding in her arms. Her heart instantly warmed and she forced herself to sit up, eagerly accepting the small child from her friend. She didn't know when she started grinning to wildly, but as she looked at the baby in the blanket, softly snugged in her own sleep, she couldn't hide it.

"Oh, hello sweetie," Pepper sang, her hand toying with the blanket around the child's face.

Tony raised an eyebrow in amusement as he locked eyes with Natasha; they had never heard Pepper so fond of a child before...or so relaxed. His lips tugged up in a faint smile, thanking her silently for watching over the new born while they recovered.

"Have you picked a name?" they heard Happy's voice ask as he and Cap appeared behind Widow at the doorway, filing into the room.

"No, not yet," Pepper whispered, never moving her eyes from their baby girl.

"How about...Toni. With an _i_ ," Tony offered, grinning largely as he waited for her response. "That can be a girl's name, right?"

Pepper giggled, but dismissed it. "There's already enough of your ego in you," she told her fiance. "Hopefully she'll grow up to learn some humility."

"I thought you wanted Maria," Cap asked from the end of the bed.

Stark shook his head. "I get it, but...too many memories."

Pepper nodded, agreeing. "That's okay. We can think up something else, can't we," she asked, more so to the baby than anyone else.

"Or..." Stark thought out loud, his eyes back on Natasha. "What about Natalie?"

Pepper finally looked up, meeting his soft chocolate eyes with her own. "I love it."

"After the one who took care of you while I couldn't," he finished, warmly shifting his gaze back to Natasha.

She looked surprised, but didn't argue, so Pepper spoke up.

"And her godmother," she decided, looking up at Nat. "If you'll accept."

"And uh, Happy," Tony summoned, looking at his life long friend. "You've put up with my shit for so long...would you do the honors?"

Hogan slapped a hand on his knee from the edge of the bed, eagerly agreeing to take the position of godfather. Pepper gazed warmly around the room, holding onto Natalie as delicately as she could, before resting her eyes back on Stark beside her. He met her with a soft kiss to the lips, earning a small cat call from the others in the room, which forced some laughter.

"I love you, Pepper," he told her sincerely, his heart soaring. "I promise I'll try to do my best with this dad thing, but-"

"You'll do great," she silenced him, smiling back.

He swallowed. "And I'm...I'm done with the suit. Iron Man. The Avengers," he added, looking toward Cap. "I'm out. That's not important anymore...and I just need to make sure you two are safe. Pep, you guys deserve better, and I'll be damned if I put our little girl in danger."

Pepper shook her head in amusement. "I know you're not, Stark," she answered. "But that's okay. There are other people in the world to protect besides us. They need you, too."

"But-"

"No."

Stark grunted in reply, but accepted it; they could talk it over later.

"Who would've thought," Happy mumbled, interrupting. "Tony Stark, a parent...with Pepper. Man, you couldn't have paid me enough to believe this a decade back."

Tony glared playfully at his security detail but couldn't stay mad; instead, he placed his cool metal fingers over Pepper's hand next to the baby's side, mesmerized by how tiny she really was. He felt her sigh again, and he closed his eyes as he nestled his face into the top of her head again, finally feeling whole.

* * *

They took another week to heal themselves, but once Pepper was okay with walking again, Tony had decided it was time to go back home; back to their home, the tower in New York, and focus on their life together. He had still insisted he was done with the suits, but she didn't buy a word of it.

Before they left, he demanded she put on a dress Shuri had picked out for her. Then, she Wakandan had done her makeup, traditional to Wakanda, and helped her carry Natalie to the tribe's sacred waterfall, where T'Challa was named king, to say goodbye and present their baby to the tribe before taking off. But, to her surprise, the walls were lined with their friends...the same friends who had fought against Thanos...the ones who had survived, and the ones that would represent those who didn't. And in the middle of it all was Tony, standing in one of his recent suit purchases, waiting for her in the water.

Pepper was greeted by Natasha, who took Natalie willingly, standing back in place next to Banner. Then, she hesitatingly stepped into the water in her sandals as she was ushered to stand with Tony, and she watched as T'Challa himself met them at their side.

"Tony," she whispered under her breath. "What are you doing?!"

He smirked, squinting slightly in the sunlight; he decided against the sunglasses for the first time in a while.

"Marrying you," he answered simply. "I don't wanna wait anymore, Pep."

She stared at him for a moment, but then her lips curved up in a smile as they softly pressed together, trying to hide her giddiness. She glanced around the surrounding crowd again, feeling her emotions take over as she fought her tears.

"How long have you had this planned?!" she asked, needing to know.

He grinned. "Since I found out about Natalie," he admitted. "Before we left to fight Thanos. I promised myself I'd do you right if I made it back, Pep. You deserve happiness. And a normal life. A normal family."

"Nothing's normal with you, Stark," she teased.

"I know." He took her hands in his, nodding to T'Challa. "What do ya say? Wanna get married, Miss Potts?"

She pretended to ponder the idea for a moment, her face scrunched up in thought. Tony cocked an eyebrow, amused, until she finally decided.

"That's gonna be Mrs Stark to you from now on," she answered, turning toward Natasha, who was still holding their baby girl. "Natalie Maria Stark."

"We'll..we'll work on that middle name," Tony chuckled, squeezing her hands lightly.

Then, they began, and the tribe welcomed them as a happily married couple not long after.


End file.
